What are observational assessments?

In a traditional assessment -- for example, a quiz, test or exam -- the participant is presented with questions for direct response. In an observational assessment, an "observer" is presented with questions to ‘rate’ participant behaviors, skills and abilities, such as:

Example applications of observational assessments

Certification: Observational assessments can be used as critical components of the certification process—in some cases are required by regulatory authorities.

Medical and dental school exams: Medical and dental schools make extensive use of observational assessments such as the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE).

Level 3 assessment: An organization has delivered a training course to its employees and is now evaluating its effectiveness. By observing and monitoring behavioral changes in the workplace before and after the training, the organization will be able to assess the changes caused by the training and evaluate the return on investment gained.

Customer service evaluation: Observational assessments can also be used to evaluate retail sales and customer service staff on how well they cope in different situations to assess where additional training is required or where personnel excel.

Equipment operation: Observational assessments can be used to record and rate operators' skills, abilities, safety practices and adherence to required procedures.

How an observer completes an assessment of a participant

The observer can grade the participant on a variety of pre-elected criteria and assess their abilities, knowledge, and performance.

Observer logs in and selects assessment and then selects a participant to be rated

Assessment is launched, enabling observer to answer questions based on participant's performance

Upon submitting the assessment, responses are scored and saved to the repository for reporting